The “REAL ID” deadline is May 7. Here’s what you need to know

Full enforcement of the requirement affects anyone who wants get into certain federal buildings and properties or board domestic flights.

One example: Federal agencies, including the TSA (Transportation Security Agency), will only accept REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards at TSA airport security checkpoints.

Another example: Getting on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Beginning May 7, all visitors seeking access to the base will be required to present REAL ID-compliant identification.

If a visitor does not have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification, they will need to present two valid forms of identification to gain access to the base, such as a Social Security card and other form of ID, the base notes on its web site.

“To avoid delays or inconvenience, it is recommended that visitors obtain a REAL ID before their visit,” the base says.

“The REAL ID Act creates a uniform standard across all states to verify the identity of an individual,” Tech. Sgt. Logan Karnbauer, non-commissioned officer in charge of Wright-Patterson Installation Access Control, said in a base release. “The implementation of REAL ID at Wright-Patterson AFB continues to strengthen the security of our installation.”

Ohio has issued its own form of REAL ID-compliant licenses since 2018. The tell-tale sign of a REAL ID-compliant license — the encircled star on the card’s front upper right.

You can apply for a Real ID by visiting an area Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles office.

To get the card, you’ll need to be able to document your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number and proof of Ohio residence. A passport can cover three of those needed elements, name, date of birth and U.S. citizenship.

By this point, about 56% of Ohio’s credentialed drivers are compliant with REAL ID requirements, over five million people, BMV Registrar Charlie Norman said.

You do have to come in person to your local BMV office when you upgrade to REAL ID, he added. That’s in line with federal requirements.

A list of acceptable documents in Ohio to apply for a READ ID can be found here.

“It’s kind of what you had to bring when you first got your driver’s license,” Norman said of the documents required to obtain the REAL ID credential.